One of the most beautiful rivers not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), but also in Europe, is becoming unrecognizable. Organizations dealing with environmental protection state that this is all thanks to the construction of a new hydroelectric power plant.
At the end of September, the Center for the Environment published terrifying footage from the Neretva in places near Ulog, where the hydroelectric power plant is being built.
The videos show that the color has turned white, according to locals and fishermen, fish died on several occasions on a section of several kilometers, and in the longer part of the Neretva watercourse, according to them, “life in the river has stopped”.
“Recently, I was in the field and the Center for the Environment published photos from the site located near the town of Ulog where the hydroelectric power plant is being built. It is evident that there is a huge blur where the water is completely white. Are these additives from the construction site, cement bases. We alerted the inspection to come out to the field and determine what happened. The consequences can be felt as far as Bjelimiciand Glavaticevo,” said Vladimir Topic from the Center for the Environment.
He said that it is very possible that the change in the color of the water in the town of Ban Vir could be related to the same problem, so it would be good if the cantonal or municipal inspection went out to the field and determined what it was about.
“There are plans to build a hydroelectric power plant in Glavaticevo and in the town of Bjelimici, now it is being built only in Ulog. But when we see how much one hydroelectric power plant that has not even been built yet harms the river and the population, then we can only wonder what would happen if so many power plants were made. It is the water that is drinkable all the way to Konjic, a length of 90 kilometers. Specific fish species live there, such as the softmouth trout, which is an extremely valuable species, and which is now dying. We cannot find such a species anywhere in the world. All these consequences can harm it and the quality of the water,” said Topic.
The Studio for Social Change Foundation said that the famous Ban Vir has become unrecognizable.
“Although there was a period of stable weather conditions, without precipitation, this is how the Neretva River looks today. The photos were taken in Glavaticevo, upstream from Konjic. It should be noted that a few tens of kilometers upstream, in the immediate vicinity of the entity line, on shaky and unstable terrain, a hydroelectric power plant ‘Ulog’ is being built,” according to the Foundation.
